Isidore birge



QNo Model.)

I. BIRGE.

STURE SERVICE APPARATUS.

No. 325,382. Patented Sept. 1, 1885.

WiTNESSES- N. FEIERS. Phaloulhcgrnphur, wmun mn. B. c.

UNITED STATES PATnNr rrrcn.

ISIDORE BIRGE, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE TRANSIT APPARATUS COMPANY, (LIMITED,) OF SAME PLACE.

STORE-SERVCE APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 325,382, dated September 1, 1885.

Application filed April 23, 1885.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ISIDORE Briton, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented an Improvement in Store-Service Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates in general to the class of storescrvice apparatus in which the traveling carrier is a basket or other goods-receiver suspended from the depending arm or hanger of a one or two wheeled truck the wheel or wheels of which travel upon an ele vated track composed of a single rail.

I-Ieretofore in the operation of travelin carriers of the above class the centrifuga force of the receiver and depending hanger has, as the truck has traveled upon curved portions of the track, tended to cause the wheel or wheels to run at a tangent off the track, and so to displace the truck from the track. Heretofore, also, when a carrier-truck has become derailed there has been no provision of means to prevent its falling.

The object of my invention is to provide effective means for preventing any displacement of the carrier-truck from the track even upon curves of the shortest radius or of abruptly-varying direction, and also for preventing a derailed truck from falling. These objects I attain by providing, in connection with curved portions of the track or carrying rail, a guard-rail supported at about the level of the track, between which and the track there is space sufficient for the depending arm of a carrier to hang and travel freely, but which is so close to track that there is not room for a derailed carrier-truck to fall between them,

' and by also providing, in conjunction with (No model.)

tion; Fig. 4, a diagrammatic plan illustrative of a guarded track having bends of opposite curvature; and Fig. 5 a View similar to Fig. 1, showing the action of the hanger-rail.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

In the drawings, A is a depending Suspender or hanging arch-shaped bracket, which is a convenient device for supporting the track or carrying rail B, the guard-rail, and the hanger-rail.

C is the wheel of a carrier-truck, D, from which is suspended a depending hanger or pendulous arm, E, which supports the basket or goods-receiver.

F is a guard-rail, which is conveniently connected with and carried by the suspender A in a position which is preferably exactly abreast that of thetrack or carrying rail, but which is placed so close to the track that there is not sufficient interspace for a carrier-truck to fall through. Both the carrying-rail and the guard-rail are, however, relatively suspended and supported at such a distance apart that between them is a continuous opening, G, longitudinally extending and preferably co extensive with the length of the curved por tions of the track. Through this opening de pends and travels the pendulous arm of the truck, the oscillatory movement of which in either direction is, if desired, checked and controlled either, as the case may be, by the carrying-rail or by the guard-rail, which may be set so closely together as to subserve such purpose. Instead of being abreast the carrying-rail, the guard-rail might, to a certain extent, be either above or below it. The better construction, however, is that represented and described. The guard-rail is, as stated, applied at curves, and is always applied upon the same relative side of the track or carry ing rail, without regard to its being upon the inside or outside of curves, and this for the reason that were said guard-rail always, for instance, placed upon the outside of every curve in tracks portions of which take on the form of reverse curves, it is manifest that the carrierhanger would not be always between the two rails. Now, as itis an essential of this feature of my invention that the guard-rail should always be so disposed that the hanger or depending arm will pass between it and the carrying-rail, it is obvious that, as stated, said guard-rail, although not usually continuous throughout straight portions of the track, must occupy always the same relative side of a given track at curved portions thereof, without regard to the varying curvature or give direction of said track.

H is what I term the "hanger-rail, conveniently supported by the bracket I, which is a part of or connected with the suspender A. This hanger rail is applied at a proper distance below the carrying rail or track, and is invariably applied at the outside of every curve and never at the inside, so that, according to the direction of the curve, the said hanger-rail is in line, or almost in line, below either the carrying-rail or the guard-rail, and this for the reason, as already explained, that upon certain curves the guard-rail is to the outside of the track, while upon other curves the track is upon the outside of the guardrail.

As the especial purpose of the hanger-rail is to prevent such extreme outward or centrifugal throw of the depending arm or hanger of the truck as would have a tendency to unship the carrier wheel or wheels from the track, it is obvious that the said hanger rail must be within range of any reasonable throw of the hanger, as illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 1, and in practice I prefer to suspend it almost in line but a little to the outside below either the track or the guard-rail.

The diagrammatic plan of Fig. 4 illustrates the relative arrangement of the carrying-rail, guard-rail, and hanger-rail upon a track having a reverse curve. It is possible to employ the guard-rail without employing the hangerrail, and to employ the hanger-rail without the guard-rail. The maximum of security against both derailment and falling is, however, secured by employing both together. I do not, however, desire to limit myself to an invariable conjoint employment of the two devices, as, in some instances, and with certain builds of carrier, one of the devices alone is an ample and sufficient security.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In combination with a single carrying rail or track for the wheeled carrier of astoreservice apparatus, a guardrail suspended or supported in propinquity to the track, and in such manner as to leave a longitudinally-extending continuous and vertically free open space between said guard-rail and said track or carrying rail.

2. In a store-service apparatus, the combination of a suitablysupported carrying rail or track, a suitably-supported guard-rail in propinquity thereto, but so disposed as to leave a continuous open space between it and the carrying rail, a traveling wheeled carrier adapted to run upon the carrying-rail and providedwith a depending or pendulous arm or hanger, which passes down through and travels within the open space between the guard-rail and carrying-rail, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In combination with a single carrying rail or track for the wheeled carrier of a store service apparatus, a hanger-rail suspended or supported below said carryingrail at the outside of curved portions thereof.

4. In a store-service apparatus, the combination of a carrying rail or track for a wheeled carrier, a hanger-rail suspended or supported below said carrying-rail at the outside of curved portions thereof, and a traveling wheeled carrier adapted to run upon the carrying-rail, and provided with a depending or pendulous arm or hanger, the arrangement being such that the centrifugal throw of the hanger is limited by the hanger-rail.

5. In a store-service apparatus, the combination of a curved track composed of a single suitably suspended or supported carryingrail, a guard-rail adjacent to a given side of said track at curved portions thereof, but at such distance from said track as to leave a continuous open space between them,a hangerrail suitably suspended or supported below the level of the track or guard rail and to the outside of all curves, and a traveling wheeled carrier thewheel or wheels of which run upon the track and which is provided with a depending arm adapted at, curved portions of the track to travel between the track and the guardrail and to the inside of the hangerrail, substantially as shown and described, and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signedmy name this 28th day of March, A. D. 1885.

ISID'ORE BIRGE.

In presence of J. BONSALL TAYLOR, WM. 0. STRAWBRIDGE. 

